Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 225,000 in January, an increase from last month’s downwardly revised reading of 152,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6%.
Private service-providing industries gained 174,000 jobs, led by education and health services, which added 72,000 jobs.
Goods-producing employment rose to 32,000 jobs during the month, led by gains in construction of 44,000 jobs. Construction gains outweighed losses in manufacturing of 12,000 jobs.
The civilian labor force participation rate was edged up 0.2 percentage points to 63.4%. Workers unemployed for less than 15 weeks increased by 19,000. The number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, decreased by 20,000 and accounted for 19.9 percent of the unemployed. The number of discouraged workers was little unchanged over the month at 337,000, but down 81,000 over the year.
Average hourly earnings rose by 7 cents, settling at $28.44. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 86 cents, or 3.1%.
Read the BLS release.
